{"sf1_id":761408,"sf2_id":null,"title":"Rakurá Chronicles - Trials and Lust","author":"Cheetahs","words":10958,"posted_at":"2014-09-27T19:20:00.000Z","tags":["Adventure","Aroused","Character Development","Cuddling","Dragon","Dragoness","Fantasy","Female","Female orgasm","Knowledge","Love","Lust","M/F","Male","Masturbation","Musk","Oral","Plot Development","Pre","Realistic","Suggestive","Teasing","Trials","cock","cunnilingus","licking","orgasm","penetration","penis","straight","vagina"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/761408-rakura-chronicles-trials-and-lust","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/view/761408","image_url":"https://www.sofurryfiles.com/std/thumb?page=761408\u0026ext=.jpg","description":"A dragoness tastes the warm embrace of her mate just before she is forced to undergo a trial of knowledge.","content":"Although this might look like the second installment in the Rakura Chronicles, it's more of a side story.  Waldesschwinge wanted to make sure his dragoness, Qyr'Zyiel, didn't get away with the mistakes she made by leaving Arjirr behind. As both punishment and a chance for future improvement, Yrmiyar'ra, the Guardian of Souls, pays a visit to Qyr during a most untimely moment. Unlike the story before, this one has some smutty moments in it, mostly revolving around the warm touch of a dragon's tongue. Hopefully, that should keep you interested in the whole tale, because there are a lot of interesting things happening in this chappy. Character ref sheets:Ref Sheet for Qyr--\u003e http://rykaran.deviantart.com/art/Qyr-ziyel-Reference-Sheet-by-Drakaina-Queen-351621972Ref sheet for Arjirr--\u003e http://rykaran.deviantart.com/art/Arjirr-reference-by-Drakainaqueen-434969033Ref sheet for Yrmiyar'ra ---\u003e http://rykaran.deviantart.com/art/Yrmiyarra-Refsheet-By-Tatiilange-482871619 If the story is to your satisfaction, please consider the following: Fav if you read itVote if you liked itComment if you're feeling awesome***Qyr lunged on the warm shore of the StarShard river. The\npebbles underneath felt delightful against her tough hide, and the whispering\nof the rushing water made for a most relaxing song.At least when two certain dragons didn't splash and test\ntheir mettle in it. After a heated contest where skill and expertise were\ntraded for hugs and other mischievous maneuvers, the two mates retired on the\nriver's edge to dry their scales. The sun progressed much slower than any of\nthem wanted, so Qyr proposed a more feasible and faster way to dry: licking.Vharyias had no complaints. He said he expected such request\nand prepared accordingly, but Qyr never believed him. She lay on her side, two\npaws lifted towards the canopy of the BroadLeaf trees while Vharyias treated\nher to one of the warmest baths she received lately.\"You missed a spot.\"\"No I didn't.\"Qyr licked her mate across his approaching snout, leaving\nbehind a damp trail of warm saliva. \"This is still wet,\" she growled softly, trailing her tongue\nunder his jaw, all the way between his nostrils.\"We agreed that tongues do not count,\" he dashed his own\nbetween Qyr's eyes. She closed them, basking in the warmth until soft teeth\ngripped one of her frontal horns.\"You agreed, dear mate,\" Qyr answered softly. \"You said you consent to-\"\"I said no such words,\" she slapped her tail against one of\nVharyias' haunches. \"Now use that lovely tongue of yours to dry me. Your teeth\nare doing a bad job at it.\"Vharyias said nothing. He pressed himself tighter against her,\npushed his draped wing firmer over Qyr's splayed form, and continued his\ntreatment. His tongue slid softly against Qyr's brown forehead scales. They\nwere tougher and larger than her flame touched ones, turning into small,\nentwined plates as they followed the bony spikes rising along her neck. Vharyas\nslid his tongue between those two, making for a most enjoyable grooming. Qyr's eyelids were being tested by the waves of relaxation\nrushing through her.  Every touch brought\nthat tantalizing warmth upon her scales, flaring her need for a deeper contact.\nBlinking lazily, Qyr stretched her neck and pushed her snout towards one of her\nmate's hind paws. He kept his flanks firmly pressed against his body, and his\nlengthy tail curled around them. Qyr licked one of the small emerald spikes,\nthen pushed closer between the male's hind legs. His scent washed over her like\na warm breeze. It had the strong fragrance of a male and the soothing touch of\nnature, just like a pine forest.\"Did I find a ticklish spot?\" Vharyias growled playfully.\"No,\" Qyr exhaled softly, then breathed in more of the\npermeating aroma. \"Try a bit harder.\" He resumed his licking, just as she resumed her inquisitive\nsniffing. She missed this scent as much as she missed Vharyas' touch.  They both were so soft and warm...Qyr's claws\nflexed, burying their sharp tips into the earth. Her instincts responded\nquicker to the stimulation than she expected. They quickened her breath, and\nmade her underbelly itch with desire. Vharyias probably noticed that too. He broadened his\nstrokes, licking around one of her shoulders with wide, circular motions. Qyr couldn't suppress her pleasure from manifesting in an\naudible manner. Her throat pushed out the rumbling air without her accord, just\nas her tail coiled tighter around her.Vharyias paused. \"If you stop, I'll bite,\" she nuzzled his toes suggestively.\"Softly?\"\"What do you think, dear mate?\" she flicked out her tongue,\nlicking around and in between his toes as she ascended towards his joint. The\nscales were small and hard, just like the pebbles beneath them. Qyr rumbled\nhappily, scratching her sensitive nose on Vharyias' scales until he jerked it\nback. Qyr firmly gripped it between her jaws, allowing no retreat.\"I think you will be unnecessarily cruel to my scales.\"\"Nonsense. I'm never cruel,\" she played her tongue along for\nemphasis.\"Never?\" Vharyias tugged his foot again.Qyr let go, if only to catch a glimpse of what hid beyond\nthe meaty flank. \"Never ever.\" \"So what happened before you pounced and drove me straight\ninto the river was considered gentle?\"\"Past is past. Licks,\" Qyr demanded.\"Answers first.\"She hissed, senses almost bursting aflame with the copious\namount of scents she inhaled. \"Licks always come before that. You know the\nrules.\"Qyr felt his head delve beneath her chest. It was warm, so\nwarm. She felt his breath on her right paw, trailing along her scales until it\nreached her clawed fingers. \"Maybe I forgot them,\" Vharyias nuzzled her clenching\nfingers. \"Living in a strange body inside a stranger world makes one forget\nabout many things.\"Qyr couldn't stand this teasing anymore. She wanted warmth\nand moisture, not dry words upon the wind. \"Really?\" she hissed. \"Maybe this will jolt your memory.\"\nShe pushed her horned head past his flank and gave his aroused member a long,\nmoist lick. The meaty rod jerked upwards. Vharyias went limp, a strange moan\nescaping his tense jaw. Qyr retrieved her tongue, bringing his fertile taste\ninto her maw before she slid a flared nostril all the way to the base. Vharyias\nshivered, claws gripping the pebbles underneath them.  She felt every muscle in his body tighten as\nhard as his member. Veins bulged along its frozen form, pumping blood with\nevery throb. Now that was delightfully warm. Qyr pushed her tongue\nbetween her clattering teeth and curled it around the muscular cock. Then, she\ngently traced the slimy length of the member all the way to the flared tip.\nBumps and ridges rose along the way, increasing in size the closer she\napproached the rift of his tip. \"Q-Qyr. I can't...can't-\"He could. She knew her mate as well as she knew herself. His\nthrobs didn't quicken enough to expel his seed, nor did his thrusting become\ntoo erratic. She grasped his tip and slid her tongue inside the slitted vent\njust in time to block the warm fluids rushing out of his overly stimulated sex.With a sound that resembled half a roar and half a moan,\nVharyias melted in her embrace. His pre rushed to greet Qyr's maw, but the\npressure exerted around the only entrance forced it back into the spasming\ncavity. When the throbs lessened, Qyr pulled her slavering tongue out and\ncleaned the dribble with a quick swipe. She disliked being cruel to her mate.\nSuch teasing could be branded as such, but in this case, she considered it a\nfair trade. Her paws were sensitive, and her mate knew it too well when he\nrubbed and touched in all the right places. She craned her neck to see him scrunching his eyes with\nbliss. He didn't last long. With a growled breath, Vharyias collapsed on the\nside, legs kicking weakly as his member jolted between his paws, spewing\nanother four strings of translucent arousal along his chest. Qyr had the\nalacrity to intercept the spurts, but she loved to watch males wetting\nthemselves. Their throbs were fierce and wild, just like their demeanor, and\ntheir arousal obvious and striking like their scales. She loved all those\ndetails, and few things were as arousing as seeing a male's own fluids coat and\ndribble between his scales. Qyr watched with fascination how the droplets\nembraced Vharyias' emerald hide, slithering like pearlescent snakes once they\nfound proper grip. She licked her snout. Cleaning him would be a delight. \"You\nare soaking yourself all over again,\" she said instead, fettering her desire to\ntaste him.\"A stark...observation, if the grass underneath you was still\ndry,\" Vharyias growled softly and pushed his snout between her forelegs. Qyr rolled on her back and pushed herself against Vharyias\nbefore he had any chance at retribution. \"I fail to see your point,\" she said smugly.\"Look harder.\"\"At what?\"\"That glistening patch where you just stood.\"\"I would, if my eyes would not linger on a better sight.\"Vharyias arched his neck. He was so predictable when his\nopinions were challenged. \"What would that be?\"Qyr licked his snout with obvious desperation. She slid her\ntongue on and around his fangs, tasting his own saliva in the process.\nEverything about her mate was warm, and she loved that. She loved every part of\nhim. Vharyias uselessly tried to disentangle his tongue from\nhers. He twisted and pulled, freeing himself only when Qyr had enough.\"Too much?\"Vharyias' blinked. His eyes sparkled with arousal, and his\nbreath became quick and ragged. He licked twice around Qyr's neck, grazing\nsoftly at the durable scales. A long, drawn out moan escaped his maw. He wanted\nher, just as much as she wanted him. Qyr always made mating more exciting. She\nliked a good scuffle or a healthy round of teasing before sharing her essence\nwith her mate. She hated to break that tradition because of a misfortune, as\nlong and drawn-out as her separation from Vharyias was.Still, her instincts coiled around her in a vice grip,\nfettering her option of choices with each passing heartbeat. She was sorely\ntempted to give in. Thoughts led Qyr to her last mating, and her sex twitched\nand shuddered in remembrance of the long rod lodged inside her velvety flesh.\nIt felt so right. So warm...the thrusts flared her lust until she surrendered to\nher mate's grip and his warm, drenching seed.Qyr yelped. The memory proved too stimulating for her overly\nsensitive flesh. Her exposed lips squelched as they grinded against each other,\npreparing to unleash the pressure rising from within. Qyr dug her snout into\nVharyyas' neck and muffled her moan between clenched jaws as the ascension\nwashed over her. She tensed, then drew forth five gushes of liquid lust, her\npleasure spiking with every spasm. Qyr rode the waves of premature release,\ngripping the pebbles underneath until the intense warmth fled her nethers. She wanted to remain there, entangled in her mate, but the\nfresh scent attracted Vharyias' attention. He surged on his paws quicker than\nshe expected, lapping at the damp rocks with frenzied hunger. Each lick carried\nthe fertile slime between his clattering jaws, stoking the hissing escaping\nbetween his half-parted jaws.Qyr pushed herself up and draped a wing over her mate. He\nwas trembling, barely able to contain his desire. \"Vharyi, my mate...\" she licked his cheek, trailing along his\ntrembling lips. \"Why scoop my essence from cold shards of stone when you can\nhave me?\"For a few heartbeats, they merely stared into each other's\neyes. Warm puffs rolled out of their maws, washing across their heated scales.\nVharyias' heart pounded so hard, Qyr could hear it despite her own, elevated\nheart rate. She blinked. Within that fraction of time, Vharyias embraced\nher neck with both forepaws and licked her insistently. He was all over her,\nnibbling and pushing against her frail balance. Qyr stumbled. The jolts of pleasure rushing between her\ntingling muscles filled her with warm, debilitating weakness. She fell on her\nback with a soft growl, licking at the dragon above her. Vharyias placed a tentative\npaw on either side, wings flapping to maintain his precarious balance. He\ntreated her with only a few long licks before he stepped back. His serpentine\nneck lowered, and his nostrils flared with purpose, twitching quicker the\ncloser he slid between her upraised hind legs.Qyr froze. She wanted to kick and grapple his neck, but her\npaws refused to obey. He was so close now, so close... and her shuddering lips\nsquelched and moistened in anticipation of his touch. Vharyias sniffed once,\nthen slid his tongue slowly over the drenched surface of her exposed flesh.Qyr moaned. The pleasure rushed through her body like a\nsurge of molten energy. It was intense and delightful, more vivid than any\npleasure she experienced. Her tail curled around one of her mate's legs, too\nrestless with the spasms wrecking her lower belly. Vharyias hungered for her.\nShe felt his determination to mate through each push of his tongue. The silky\neel dashed and plunged inside her, drawing out fresh reserves of liquid\nfertility, quickly slurped inside his voracious maw. The deeper he went, the\nhotter Qyr's scales burned. She quivered and moaned like a hatchlings, toes\ncurling inward under the fettering pleasure. Vharyias huffed. His hot breath descended upon the female's\nsensitive privates, along with several drops of hot saliva. The combined\nassault tested her resilience, and Qyr bit back her release. She contained the\nrising pressure, basking in the burning touch of her mate for a few blissful\nheartbeats until his tongue slid deep inside her.Qyr tensed. Her silky walls wrapped around the warm tongue,\nholding it within their throbbing embrace. They failed. Vharyias slid out,\ntickling her overly sensitive insides past the edge as he slid back in, again,\nand again, and again, going deeper with each lick. His muscular tongue\nthickened the deeper he went. Not only he slid in deep, but the pressure\nexerted on Qyr's walls melted the female's resilience.Qyr collapsed under the assault. With a roar, she unleashed\nher burning burden, drenching her mate's snout with waves of clear, fertile\ngoo. Vharyias pulled back, surprised by the sheer strength of her release. He\nlicked her oozing lips quickly, then pressed his snout against them when the\ngushes proved too treacherous to tame. The pressure only added to Qyr's rush of\ndelight. She pushed into her made, rubbing herself against the wet scales of\nhis snout while he drank in her essence. \nHer roar rose a pitch higher, then lessened as her vigorous throbs\nlessened into soft shudders. Vharyias pulled his snout a few inches away from her sex,\ncleaning her drenched flesh and scales with sensual strokes of his tongue.Qyr shivered. Her wings jerked weakly, and weakness still\ngripped her limbs. She pawed at Vharyias, uselessly trying to pin him against\nher.\"What did I tell you about teasing, Vharyi?\"He looked at her, then hissed a soft, amorous growl. With\nunsteady steps he straddled her, getting into the proper mating position. Qyr\ncaressed his oozing member with the tip of her tail, summoning another lust\nfilled growl. \"You want to have me?\"Vharyias stretched his serpentine neck and eagerly licked\nher snout. Qyr melted into his embrace. She pushed her head under his head,\ntaking in the wild scents trapped between his scales. \"Mate me then. Fill me with the love and the warm seed\ndenied to us for all these years.\"He needed no further encouragement. Lowering his trembling\nlegs, Vharyias thrust softly, sliding against her sun scaled belly in search\nfor her vent. Qyr closed her eyes. She waited this for more than she wanted to\nadmit. The heat, her desire, the loving touch of her mate...it was everything she\nfantasized about during the cold nights of her quest. Memories like these\nfilled her with hope and determination. Other Rakura told her Vharyias was lost,\nbut she never believed it. She did not want to believe her beloved Rakur, the\none she chose as her mate, simply vanished. So she searched, first the inner\nworlds of her great species, then the ones inhabited by feral creatures. It\ntook years of loneliness and patience to feel her mate pressed against her once\nmore. To smell the fragrance of his scales, the sharp tinge of arousal, and\nfeel his member slide closer and closer to her eager lips...Then it came. A surge of energy rushed outwards from the\nrift expanding from behind. Qyr shut her eyes. The light became as intense as\nthe sun itself, then vanished quicker than a spark. When she opened her eyes,\nthe portal was gone. A Rakur stood in its place. Scales dark as night,\nmismatched horns, and broad wings bearing the deep blue of the evening sky that\nstretched all the way to his bladed tail. She knew this Rakur. Or at least\nheard of him. Her kin spoke about him with both a tinge of fear and respect,\nfor he was proud and rash at times, pointing out flaws and ways to remove them\nin a stark and efficient way.\"Yr...Yrmir,\" Qyr's tongue twisted inside her maw. Being\ncaught mating by her own kind was negligible. It was the interruption that\nirritated her the most.  \"Qyr'Ziyel,\" the dragon padded closer, head dipping in\nacknowledgement. \"It is a delight to see your quest bearing fruit.\"Vharyias snarled, but Qyr quickly gripped his muzzle with a\nforepaw. \"He'll leave. I'll see to it,\" she licked her mate, then turned back\nto Yrmiyar'ra.\"It was about to bear a lot more than that,\" she hissed,\nunable to keep the spite out of her voice. \"Your visit is untimely.\"\"Is it?\" he took a step closer, fixing his sapphire eyes on\nQyr.\"Leave,\" she growled.He seemed to consider the request for a moment. Then, he\nsettled on the ground, stretching his neck until his snout almost touched\nQyr's. \"Is that what you told Arjirr when you abandoned him?\"A shock traveled through Qyr's spine, chilling the warmth\nrushing through her.\"Wh-what?\"\"He was wounded,\" Yrmiyar'ra hissed, gradually revealing his\nsnow white fangs. \"Exhausted. Defenseless.\"\"I- I didn't leave him,\" Qyr stammered. The mention of\nArjirr was even more untimely than the Rakur's words. A glimpse of the silver\nmale rushed through her mind, broken and tattered. His wounds seemed even worse\nthan she remembered, oozing indigo blood all over Arjirr's scales. Nausea washed over Qyr. All the helplessness she felt back\nthen rushed forth, washing away her burning lust. \"You didn't stay either,\" Yrmiyar'ra rose and flapped his\nwings once. \"And because of your foolishness and rash decisions, he fell prey\nto the humans.\"Qyr said nothing. Her whole body was numb with shock. Fell\nprey? Was he...dead? She shook her head and snarled.\"No.\"\"You presume to know more than me?\"\"He can't be dead.\"\"Are you certain?\"She was not. How could she, when the stubborn bastard closed\nthe portal behind him? Qyr clawed and launched her last reserves of energy at\nthe rift. It didn't open, not even until she fainted from the exhaustion. \"I didn't leave him,\" a surge of strength rushed through her\nlimbs. She pushed her confused mate aside and scrambled on her fours, and\nroared at her fellow Guardian.\"He pushed me into that portal, Yr! You speak about choices?\nI had none!\" she toned down her seething irritation. \"My mate collapsed,\nunconscious. One of my wings was torn. Even if I wanted, I couldn't fly, and my\npower was spent. I could. Do. Nothing!\"\"Are you certain?\" he asked again in that calm and\ncalculated voice of his.\"Yes, I am certain!\" Qyr slapped her tail, jaws snapping\ntogether. She pushed back the anger. It filled her muscles, lending strength.\nIt was a useful asset against enemies, but never against friend or kin. So Qyr\nforced it back, pacing around until Yrmiyar'ra spoke again. \"Then you traded one life for another.\"Qyr collapsed. A sinking feeling took hold of her, sapping\naway her energy. Vharyias covered her with a wing and nuzzled her encouragingly,\nbut even his touch felt cold and insignificant. Arjirr died. He died because of\nher! Because she was too weak, or too unprepared to face the humans, or...She growled in defeat and crashed her head on top of a paw.\nThe reason mattered not. It was her duty to protect life, and she failed.\nArjirr helped her, protected her, and sacrificed himself to save them both.\nQyr's thoughts led back to that night. What manner of weakness subdued her\nspirit? Why didn't she fight harder against Arjirr's stone-like conviction? The\nanswer eluded her. All she had was Yrmiyar'ra's cold gaze and Vharyias' touch\nto remind her of the price she paid.\"If Arjirr fell, then why are you here, Soul Guardian?\"Yrmiyar'ra smiled softly. \"To give you another chance.\"\"At what? Retribution?\" Qyr lifted her head. \"It would not\nbring Arjirr back, would it?\"\"No,\" he shook his head. \"Indeed it would not. Lives are not\na currency to bargain with or trade as you see fit.\"\"Guarding souls is your task, not mine,\" Qyr looked towards\nher mate and gave him an uncertain lick before turning back to Yrmiyar'ra.  \"Now leave. Please.\" She added softly. \"If\nArjirr perished, I will see that new life takes his place.\"\"Mmmmrr,\" the black dragon rumbled. \"Are you certain?\"She lashed out with a paw. Yrmiyar'ra drew back, avoiding\nher strike. \"I'm starting to dislike that question.\"\"Dislike or not, it deserves an answer,\" he said,\nunperturbed by the attack.\"I am!\" Qyr snapped. \"My mate and I were just about to-\"\"Not that,\" Yr interrupted. \"What came before.\"\"Arjirr. I said he...\" Qyr trailed off, and Yrmiyar'ra's smile\nbroadened in the light of her realization. \"You never said he died.\"\"That was your assumption, Qyr, dark and gloomy as it may\nbe.\"\"He is alive?\" a spark of hope filled her spirit.\"Indeed,\" the black dragon nodded his head. \"Though for how\nlong, I cannot say.\"Qyr scrambled on her legs. \"Then why are we wasting time?\"\"We aren't,\" Yrmiyar'ra rose on his fours. \"Not if we leave\nnow.\"Vharyias rushed on his fours too, only to be stopped by a\nsapphire clawed paw. \"Not you.\"\"You really want to separate us after-\"\"For this task, yes,\" Yrmiyar'ra interrupted the green\ndragon with a firm growl. \"The souls are not very kind when the living trespass\ninto their realm.\"Vharyias was clearly not pleased with this decision. He was\nall tense and apprehensive until Qyr soothed him with a few licks across his\nsnout. \"Hssss, my love,\" she hissed warmly. \"I will be back as fast as my wings\nallow.\"\"Fair winds, my mate.\"They shared a quick kiss before Yrmiyar'ra started flapping\nhis wings. Qyr beat hers thrice, joining him in the skies. They flew away from\nthe StarShard forest towards the Jagged Fang mountains in the west. It was\nobvious they weren't returning to Earth. Qyr knew the locations of all the\nportals, and she flew away from the only one residing in this world. The flight was eerily silent. Qyr thought of her mate, went\nover her conversation with Yrmiyar'ra, and thought of several questions. One\nstood one from the rest, as obvious as the tall peaks rising before them.\"Aren't we returning to Earth?\" she asked as she approached\nthe dark scaled Guardian.\"Not through those crude portals you got used to. My realm\nlinks every world faster than you can blink.\"\"The realm of Souls? I thought only the Guardian can pass\nthrough it.\"\"Me, and any others I might choose. DragonFang makes an\nexcellent tether for your first trip.\"Qyr followed him. DragonFang was the tallest mountain in the\nchain. Its jagged peak rose high above the ground, and the trees growing inside\nthe crevices were a symbol of resilience and endurance. They circled the\nmountain once, then settled on one of the five peaks. The ground was treacherous\nand unsteady, but Qyr had no problems finding balance on her four nimble legs.\nShe gripped the rock firmly between her toes and steadied herself with the aid\nof her broad wings.Yrmiyar'ra settled ahead of her and dipped his head towards\nthe tall trees of the SunSpring glade. They grew taller than any three had the\nright to, with spindly canopies that sometimes broke even above the cloud line.\"Why is a forest strong, Qyr?\" Yrmiyar'ra asked, still as\nthe wind.The dragoness opened her maw, then hesitated. It was a trick\nquestion, meant to test her audacity. \"Because of unity and balance. Each form of life, from the\ntiniest insect to the largest predator has its purpose in the cycle of life.\"\"Would the same life grow under the leaves of a single tree?\"\"No,\" Qyr answered. \"The forest as a whole nourishes life.\nIf we cut them down like humans do...\"\"We know very well what happens, yes?\" Yrmiyar'ra agreed,\nwings flaring gently in the fierce breeze. Qyr remembered very well all the pain and despair she felt\non Earth. She needed no remainders of the cataclysms humans could unleash.\"What is the purpose of-\"Yrmiyar'ra turned around, interrupting her words. \"Now look\nat the mountains rising behind us. Can they keep the savage storms of the\nWestern Sea at bay?\"\"Yes.\" Qyr answered curtly.\"Why is that?\" Yrmiyar'ra pressed.\"Because they are a part of a greater chain. A single\nmountain bends a gale, but barriers break storms.\"\"Numbers, Qyr. Numbers are important,\" Yrmir turned his gaze\ntowards her. \"Even the weakest sapling or the tiniest mound can make a\ndifference. By leaving Arjirr on his own, you made none.\"\"I already-\"\"Still your tongue.\"Qyr pressed her jaws shut. It felt odd to be judged by\nanother Guardian. She had shortcomings, but always sought to take the best\ndecisions. Arjirr offered her none, and Yrmiyar'ra insisted again and again.\nThat annoyed her. He was a pest, a hatchling too unruly for his own good.\"This is your chance to learn from mistakes and make sure\nnext time you take the proper decision. Fight, instead of allowing words,\nthoughts and doubts replace the sting of your claws.\"Qyr pressed her wings closer and bit her tongue gently to\navoid a reply. The pain washed a measure of her anger away, just in time for Yrmiyar'ra\nto continue.\"We are both Guardians, and we understand the toll this\ntakes. Everything has an opposite, Qyr. Day and night, life and death, choices\nand hesitation. Your lack of conviction and determination to protect your kin\nallowed Arjirr to fall prey to humans. They are probably experimenting on him\nas we speak, cutting, probing and searching the source of his strength so the\nhumans can augment their own.\"He paused. Qyr took her chance and roared, unleashing all\nthe festering feelings boiling inside her.\"Are you through with these words?\" Yrmiyar'ra unfolded his wings and unleashed his own roar. It\nreverberated throughout the mountains, so loud and terrible it made even Qyr\nsquirm.\"Mind the whole journey, not the destination,\" he boomed. \"You\nrushed, Qyr. Your arrival on Earth has been a straight flight to retrieve your\nmate. You challenged the humans without analyzing their prowess and attacked\none of their great cities with a plan born of alacrity rather than wit, and\nsuffered the consequences.\"\" Arjirr's overload only bought a sliver of time for your\npierced wings to fly you over the wall. Only by sheer fortune you survived. If\nVharyias lacked his powers, you would have been a part of my realm. A soul\namong countless others.\"He was right. As much as she hated to admit, everything Yrmiyar'ra\nsaid was true. Qyr bowed her head in both acknowledgement and defeat. His harsh\ngrowl was unrelenting, and his words stung deeper than any wound. \"Because your knowledge proved insufficient, I shall submit\nyou to a trial. Prove yourself worthy of washing away your mistakes. Prove that\nyou have the strength to save Arjirr. And most importantly, prove yourself.\"\"What would you have me do?\" Qyr asked.\"Quickness and lapse in your judgment led down this path.\nLearn,\" Yrmiyar'ra flared his wings and leaped.\"Adapt,\" he growled, sailing through the air until he fell\nupon Qyr. Her grip faltered, and the both plummeted towards the ground. \"Overcome.\"His claws dug into her sides with a chilling bite. Her\nvision flickered, and she kicked her own limbs to break free. When her eyes\nopened, she saw only darkness. She blinked once, twice, but the dark haze\npersisted. Qyr pushed herself up. The ground felt soft and unsteady.\nWhen she looked down, she knew why. There was nothing but blackness underneath\nher paws. Qyr fanned her wings for extra balance. She stumbled a bit, but the\nstrange floor seemed resilient enough for her weight. She turned her eyes from the tips of her claws to her\nsurroundings. She was in a cave or something that resembled the heart of a\nmountain. Water dripped from somewhere nearby, but Qyr could not discern from\nwhere. Everything looked alike, black and undistinguishable, aside from the\nfour platforms surrounding her. They were shaped in a perfect circle, with\nsymbols engraved upon their surface. Qyr walked towards the flaming one, still adjusting to the\nweird malleable earth underneath her paws. She stretched her neck, struggling to\ninterpret the symbols. Once she took one more step, a wall of purple flames\nerupted before her, engulfing the platform. Strange. Qyr felt no heat radiating\nfrom the cold flames. She pushed a claw through the curtain of fire, and\nquickly pulled back from the intense jolt.\"Bravery is not always the opposite of wisdom,\" a voice\nblazed in the darkness. Qyr squinted her eyes. The fire took the shape of a\nRakur. It had a long, sinewy body, and a pair of long whiskers trailing on each\nside of its muzzle. \"Niyue?\" Qyr asked, eyes tearing up in the fierce blaze.The fiery dragoness did not seem to acknowledge her. \"Sometimes,\nthe best decisions come from within. Stay true to your instincts, and your\nconviction shall pierce the blackest darkness.\"The flames retreated with a soundless rush. Qyr stepped\nforth, and the shield returned, pushing her several steps back. The fiery Niyue\nappeared again, saying the same words in that melodic voice of hers. \"A message? What good is that?\" Qyr said to herself. She\nlicked her paw, washing away the eerie tingling before padding towards another\nplatform. This one had the wildness of nature embedded upon its\nsurface. Vines curled in intricate patterns, twisting over the complex shape of\na tree. Qyr reached out with a paw, summoning the wrath of the vines. Four\nsnakes rushed forth from the platform, pushing her back. Another Rakur\nappeared, shaped by green flames. They were smooth and soft like the clouds,\nbut had a consistency greater than air. \"Life is the blood of existence. It nourishes the land, the\nwaters and the air, giving purpose to every being. Yet death is also a part of\nthe cycle, for without darkness, there can be no light. How can one protect\nlife when life itself threatens to upturn the balance?\"\"Through death?\" Qyr answered.  \"Predators kill both to preserve the balance\nof nature and to survive another day.\"The Rakur dispersed, offering no answer. Qyr snorted and ran towards the opposite platform. Riddles?\nWas this her great trial? Yrmiyar'ra feasted on a mind-altering Cristalisk if\nhe thought this trial was worthy of her. She was a huntress. Quickness and\nstrength were her assets. Arjirr needed her alacrity of wings, not the speed of\nher thoughts. The longer she lingered inside this lightless chamber, the more\nher fellow Rakur suffered.Qyr bit back her irritation and ignited the third platform.\nSapphire ice coalesced around, shaping in the form of Yrmiyar'ra. \"By the Sun's blazing light, I hope you have something\nuseful to say,\" Qyr bared her teeth.\"Patience breaks even the sturdiest of walls.\"Was that it? Qyr waited until the shape broke, then flared\nit back again. The same words touched her ears, only irritating her further. \"Your patience only breaks Arjirr. What am I doing here\ninstead of...grrrawr!\" Qyr ran towards the last platform, hoping to find a quick\nway out of this blackened chamber. The last platform had the brightness of light itself shaped\nupon its surface. Qyr approached, triggering the respective Guardian.\"Wisdom pierces through any fear and doubt. It is the\ngreatest teacher and the greatest asset of any sentient being. But wisdom does\nnot always reveal itself from victories. One has to fail in order to learn. A\nhatchling cannot flap its wings without making mistakes, just as a cub cannot\nhunt without testing its prowess.\"Qyr blinked, squinting her eyes in the blinding light. That\nvoice seemed eerily familiar. This Rakur. She knew her! Two pairs of curved\nhorns on each side, a straight pair pointing backwards, and flame touched wings\nrising behind her spiked neck. \"What is right and what is wrong? Only the wisest can say,\"\nthe blazing dragoness added before dispersing into nothingness. Qyr shook her head. \"Was that me? No... I never valued wisdom\nover raw strength!\" She poked a paw through the radiant shield. Unlike before,\nthe blaze retreated from her paw, allowing it to pass right through. It was\nodd. The platform had just the right warmth for her feet, and her own scent was\nlatched upon the stone. Qyr walked over the stone bridge and stepped into the\ninner circle. The flames blazed to life, rearranging themselves into a readable\nform.\"Intellect and instinct. Neither is the greatest. Neither is\nthe strongest,\" she spoke out loud, then huffed a long, drawn out breath. \"I never\nsaid that, Yrmir. You mistook me for the previous Guardian. The sun burns those\nwho approach too much. There is nothing wise about that!\"Her roar echoed in the still cavern. She came to be tested,\nand all she encountered was an amalgamation of words. Words! As if bargaining\nwith the humans could save Arjirr!Qyr flapped her wings and took off the platform.  There had to be a way out. The light dimmed\nwith every beat of her wings, plunging everything back into darkness. She\nsummoned forth her own radiance, and unleashed it in a straight beam. Nothing happened. Qyr tried again, and again, failing to\nfeel the warm tingling preceding the use of her power. Pressing her jaws\ntogether, she ventured into the darkness. This spirit realm or whatever it was\nnot only trapped her, but stole her greatest strength too. With determined\nflaps, Qyr advanced into the emptiness ahead of her. She saw and smelled\nnothing, but kept beating her wings until they stung. No matter how fast she\nflew, the same emptiness greeted her.Qyr turned around. Her eyes widened, and a startled yelp\nescaped her. The four platforms were just behind her, like she hasn't even\nmoved. She landed on the central area and visited each Rakur shrine once again.\nTrials were never won by cheating. She had to acknowledge at least that. Once\nher tour was completed, Qyr flew back to her own little den and coiled around\non the warm stone. She was supposed to learn something, then use the knowledge\nto return back to Earth and save Arjirr. But the question was what. How could she make sense of all\nthose senseless words when her instincts urged action? Qyr brought her tail around and licked the glassy membrane.\nThe Rakur from the evergreen platform had the right of it. Darkness gave light\nits shape and warmth, and Qyr couldn't even use hers. She felt frustrated and\nuseless, standing there and grooming her paws while possible answers rushed\nthrough her mind. She mixed and mated all the possibilities, feeling none the\nsmarter.\"I'm missing something,\" Qyr said, lazily looking over the\nthree other platforms. They stood equal distance away from each other. They\nalso looked the same. The elements and symbols made them different, but Qyr had\nno means to reach the other three. She was powerless. Her claws were useless, her\nteeth had nothing to sink in, and her fiery breath was nonexistent. She had\nnothing aside from her wits and time.\"And patience,\" Qyr joked. \"That breaks walls, Yr said. As\nif there is any wall created by nature. Humans are the only ones who-\"She suddenly stopped. The green flamed Rakur spoke of life\nand its creation, and Yrmiyar'ra mentioned the walls. Niyue spoke about\ninstincts. The early forms of life were invested only with instincts to guide\nthem, placing Niyue in between the previous two. Maybe there was a connection\nbetween the platforms. Qyr visited them again. Life first, flame second, light\nthird and souls was left for the last. When placed in that order, everything\nmade a bit more sense. \"They are speaking about us!\" Qyr realized with an excited\ngrowl. \"Humans forsworn their natural instincts in favor of intellect, and\ndestroyed nature. Ordinary beasts are only ruled by senses and instincts, and\ncannot aspire to shape the land or defend it against threats other than their\nown kin. They only seek to procreate and nourish their young, but we do both!\"Qyr leaped away from her platform and jumped in the middle,\nwhere only darkness sheltered the pads of her paws. \"Rakura are invested with\nboth instincts and intellect, and we use them justly to defend life and\nvanquish threats. Neither is the greatest. Neither is the strongest,\" the words\noozed away from her maw with the clarity of a soothing river. She laid in the center, curling her tail around herself. She\ndid not belong to a single platform, but encompassed all of them. Why couldn't\nshe see that before?Qyr roared out her victory, shaking the shapeless cavern\nwith her might. The ground before her suddenly shifted, and before she had the\nchance to flap her wings, it swallowed her like water. Dizziness washed over\nher, speckling her vision with an amalgamation of colored sparks. Qyr pawed and\nflapped, feeling nothing but emptiness until her belly met something solid. With a growl, she fell on her side, blinking rapidly against\nthe sparkling haze. The pressure slowly left her head and cleared her vision. She\nblinked again, catching a sight of her surroundings.And she wished she kept her eyes closed. The city of\nOpportunity loomed before her, glorious and shiny just like the last time she\nhad the displeasure of flying between its glorious spires. \"Better than your primitive caverns, eh?\" a voice came from\nbehind. Qyr twisted and slashed, her scythe cutting the ghostly\nhuman in half. His vaporous essence knitted back together in an instant, even\nif he groaned and moaned like a beaten pup.\"Ghaaah, that hurt. Never do that again.\"Qyr didn't listen. She slashed and tore, even biting the\nlaughing wretch. He jumped away from her, rolled on the ground, and flourished\nunderneath one of her wings.\"Nah, I'm kidding. I can't feel a thing, though I can see\nyou are getting a bit too excited about this mauling and rending,\" he moved his\narms suggestively as he growled and groaned, imitating her. \"I think you wandered a bit too far from your cage, little\nhuman,\" Qyr snarled at him.He shook his head, smiling. \"Nah. I am just where I belong.\"\"Hardly.\"\"So grumpy,\" he jumped through Qyr's chest, emerging on her\nleft. \"I always liked dragons. Their scales fascinate me,\" he ran his hand\nalong her shoulder. \"And their claws, oh my!\" he pointed at one of her scythes.\n\"That is some big equipment you have there. Almost as big as me!\" He burst into\nlaughter.Qyr turned her head away from the dreary sight. \"Leave.\"He jumped through her again with a long 'whoop'. \"Shooing me\nso soon? That is bad manners, mistress Dragon. I have been assigned to be your\nfaithful companion,\" he increased his voice. \"I'm here to share my knowledge,\nmirth, and if her Brightness demands, even my body with her!\"\"Grawr!\" Qyr growled in disgust. \"I'd rather eat your kind\nthan even thinking about something as foul as sheltering you under one of my\nwings.\"\"Is that what you dragons call mating?\" He dived between her\nlegs and disappeared inside one of her flanks. Qyr leaped away. \"You are infuriating.\"\"And you are beautiful,\" he bowed. \"Although waaay bigger\nthan I would expect.\"\"Leave,\" she hissed threateningly.He frowned and placed a hand over his chest. \"Whaa? Rude\nremark number two! I am being a gentleman by complimenting your physical and\ninner appearance, and you tell me to leave. Again?! Nope. Not happening.\"\"There is nothing gentle about you, pest,\" Qyr turned around\nand walked in the opposite direction. Of course the human followed her. He ran a hand through her\ntail, jumped to catch one of her wings, then pet her shoulder. \"Are you sure?\nBecause I can show you some pretty gentle moves.\"\"Not in this life,\" Qyr took to the skies. \"Oh, this? I was made to fly!\" The human zipped around, a\nsmall cloud of pure annoyance on an otherwise clear sky. \"You are made to be the opposite of useful. You know what\nthat is?\"He seemed to think for a moment, floating through the sky\nwhile he sat cross-legged on an invisible surface. \"Uhm, redundant?\"\"That's you.\"\"That is not my name, miss Dragon!\"\"It is now!\" Qyr surged through him with a powerful beat of\nher wings. She flew into the high skies, but the warmth of the sun did not\ngrace her scales. It seemed odd how the sun stood still. She felt no breeze\nunder her wings, and not a single speck of clouds marred the clear blue sky. It\nwas like the time was frozen in this place.\"I am still in the spirit realm...\" Qyr observed.\"Very astute of you,\" Redundant intervened. \"I award you ten\npoints for your deduction skills.\"\"Points?\" Qyr asked, despite her willingness to keep her maw\nshut and entertain this fool.\"Uhm, things,\" the human answered. \"An illiterate dragon\nwouldn't understand what points are. My bad. Minus ten for me.\"\"I am many things, pest.\"\"Aside from literate.\"\"What is literate?\"He sighed, \"Yep, just as I thought. I-li-te-rate,\" he\nspelled out loud. Qyr flapped her wings, circling the skies of Opportunity.\n\"If I ever had a hatchling as annoying as you...\"\"What would you do?\" Redundant asked. \"Eat them? Fry them?\nBoil them? Cook them?\"\"Eat? We never-\"\"Some of you do!\" the human lifted a finger. \"See, I've read\nthis book where this dragon called Varathras the Vile ate her entire clutch!\"\"Disgusting,\" Qyr growled out her spite. \"You humans think\nthe strangest things.\"\"And you don't?\" He laughed and extended a hand, summoning a\ntablet of some kind. He shuffled its pages quickly, turning them with one\nfinger. \"Lets see then! Mating with Vharyias, licking, licking, mating, orgasm\norgasm orgasm, insemination FIVE TIMES! Dragons do all that in a single day?\"Qyr's tongue tangled in her own maw. \"How can you...what? I-I mean\nhow...\"\"Oh, this?\" he pushed the book closer to one of her crimson\neyes.  \"The cover reads 'Qyr'Ziyel's\nthoughts'. I'm reading your mind, dear,\" he chuckled and gave her a quick peck\non the snout.  \"But I have to admit it's\none boring lecture. Look at all these pages!\" he shuffled them by the dozens.\n\"All filled with lounging and hunting and mating!\"\"I don't need to explain myself to inferior beings,\" Qyr\nsaid, scales burning with embarrassment. Out of all living creatures, a human\ngained access to her innermost sanctuary? Yrmiyar'ra needed a lesson himself\nonce she rescued Arjirr.A deep laughter followed. \"Inferior?\" He burst, trying to\nregain his composure through several fits. \"You act exactly like a beast for\nthe better part of your life.\"\"As any being should.\"He calmed down in an instant. \"Bah,\" he threw the book away\nand equipped a hat and a strange long rod. \"What about adventure? Hunting?\nKilling baddies?\"Qyr opened her maw, but the human read her thoughts before\nshe voiced them. \"Other humans. That's baddies for you.\"\"Only your race is stupid enough to kill each other.\"\"Hmm, if the baddies deserve it, sure\" Redundant scoffed and\ndisappeared behind her head. Qyr didn't care. She kept her eyes on the sky,\nweary of any wasps or metal birds. She saw none. Only Redundant's small head\nand strange fluff growing underneath his maw.\"Pff. I have pondered your thoughts. It shames me to say,\nbut we are a flawed race. See, there are good humans and bad humans, and we\njust try to...live, I guess?\"\"By destroying nature and killing yourselves?\" Qyr pressed.\n\"Is that what you call life?\"\"Kind of?\" Redundant frowned. \"You disgust me.\"\"Go low on the insults please,\" the human warned. \"If I\nshuffle through your boring book, I will find some dirty deeds and shoot them\nback at you!\"\"Shuffle. It will be my intense delight to prove you wrong.\"She dived back to the ground once she made a full loop\naround Opprtunity. She spotted no metal birds nor wasps, though the smell of\nsmoke and corruption hung high over the city. \"Dang, you're right,\" Redundant said sullenly. \"You don't do\ngenocide, but only because you have all these worlds to inhabit.\"\"What stops your race from seeking new ones?\" Qyr asked.\"I...I really don't know,\" the human said. \"Maybe we're the\nbad guys, but I never wanted to be bad! I hurt a puppy once though. He pooped\non my bed, and he deserved a good whack over the ear!\"\"As you do for corrupting everything. You turned away from\nyour roots.\"He shrugged. \"Has to happen at some point, right? When only\nthe strongest remain, they fight for dominance among themselves.\"\"We're not like that,\" Qyr said. \"Power is dangerous without\nrestraint.\"\"We thought that too, until other smartasses invaded our\nuncivilized kin. Then we prepared accordingly and wiped them out.\"\"Is it only war with you humans? Is that what gives purpose\nto your lives?\"\"Well, we can create too! There are these sculptures and\npaintings I wanted to talk about...\"Qyr landed softly and curled in the grass, listening to one\nof the most drawn-out tales she had the displeasure of hearing. Redundant\nbrought some interesting facts. Humans were like the life blazing Rakur said.\nSome favored peace and tried to reason with their kind and repair the damage\nthey did, while others exploited nature and animals for their own benefit. They\nwere not the emotionless monsters Qyr imagined when she first visited Earth,\nbut their race was too corrupted. Mistrust and selfishness bred the worst of\nemotions, infecting the human race with dangerous vices. She did not know yet\nif they were beyond recovery. Her intuition pulled her towards a positive\noutcome, but protecting life went against wiping it. \"How can one protect life when life itself threatens the\nbalance?\" Qyr asked, recounting the words of the life imbued Rakur. \"That's deep,\" Redundant admitted through a shake of his\nshimmering head. \"I guess...you do nothing?\"\"Doing nothing just lets corruption spread. Look how far\nyour race got.\"\"Heey, now that's mean,\" he crossed his arms and stared into\nQyr's crimson eyes. \"We had no Rakur dragon almighty winged beasts to protect\nand teach us in our times of need.\"\"You had each other!\" Qyr growled.\"Sometimes, that isn't enough,\" Redundant sighed. \"Trust is\nhard to earn, and power is the only ruler. Some of my people used to believe in\nGod. An almighty, ethereal being dwelling in the sky until some moron destroyed\nall religions.\"\"Don't ask,\" he slid his hand between her teeth. \"Religion\nis faith. You believe in something without having proof it exists.\"\"That is stupid.\"\"I think so too!\" Redundant smiled, walking between her\nforepaws. He sat on one and continued his lecture.  \"Faith can give us strength though. Make us\nmore powerful than we already are. Teach us the good values in life.\"\"Good values?\" Qyr pointed at Opportunity. \"I can see and\nsmell plenty of good values there.\"\"Look at it how you want, Qyr. There are always two sides of\nthe coin.\"\"Coin?\"\"Erm, it's a currency. But I meant that light and dark\nthing. You know how it goes. Learned that during your test.\"She licked her snout and looked upon the sun-basked city.\n\"Yes. Yes I know. You can pass through those walls and human crafts, yes?\"\"You mean canons and the missile batteries and the hundreds\nof guns mounted on those turrets? Nope.\"\"Why not? You effectively pestered me during my flight and\npass through my scales as you please!\"\"Rules,\" he looked down. \"I kind of like you, Dragon Qyr,\nbig and fat as you are-\"Qyr swallowed him whole in the embrace of her jaws.\"... but you can't eat me like I previously stated. Gah!\" he\nslid through her teeth and pretended to rest against one of her shoulders. \"You\nget easily tickled.\"\"Poor words have that effect,\" Qyr licked her exposed fangs.\n\"You were saying?\"\"That your wings are too small, your bottom too big, and\nyour tail too heavy. And these claws?\" He slid a foot along one of her scythes.\n\"Get them cut. They make you look less than presentable.\"\"I'd rather cut you,\" Qyr pawed at the pest.\"So stubborn,\" Redundant sighed. \"It's to be expected from a\ndragon.\"\"I'm not a dragon,\" Qyr stomped the pest again.\"Rakur, whatever. Two wings, four legs, tail, horns, breath...\nthat's a dragon in any book.\"\"Not mine.\"\"Because it's boooooooooooring!\"\"This conversation starts to be. Do you have anything useful\nto say?\" Redundant got on his feet and put some strange, tall thing\nover his head. \"Ahem,\" he coughed, changing his voice to a deep, rich tone. \"As\nI was about to tell her snappy Brightness, there are certain rules that I have\nto abide by. Venturing into the city is strictly prohibited. I can sneak in no\npeeks and offer no advice in overcoming your challenges and saving your fellow\nfat silver dragon.\"\"Arjirr,\" Qyr hissed. \"Arhar whatever,\" Redundant shrugged, tripping on the\nRakur's proper name. \"You're interrupting and I don't like that when reading\nyour rights.\"\"Rights? Can there be more than a right and a left?\"\"It's a code!\" Redundant said, slightly exasperated. \"Like,\nrules, to explain that plainly for illiterate dragons,\" he brushed it off with\na quick hand swipe. \"Anyway, this task is solely meant for you. I cannot\nintervene in the affairs of dragons, bla bla bla, cliché, la la la, and yeah.\"Qyr placed one paw over the other. \"I understood...nothing,\"\nshe declared.\"You understood the important bits. I can't come with you to\nthe city, but I can give you three advices, right here, right now.\"\"Only three?\"\"That's the magic number, dear,\" the human smiled. Qyr pondered on that. The human could deceive her. She had\nno way of verifying the validity of his words. On the other paw, he already\nknew her inside out. If this was a trial of knowledge, as Yrmiyar'ra kindly\nsaid before he pulled her into his spirit world, then Qyr wanted to obtain any sliver\nof information she could get her paws on.She lowered her head to the human's level and exposed her\nfangs. \"Tell me Arjirr's location.\"\"The central pillar,\" Redundant pointed, lifting one finger.\"Like that wasn't obvious,\" Qyr growled.\"You asked, I answered.\"She wanted to eat him very, very bad.\"Is there a weakness in the wall's defense?\" she asked\ninstead.\"There is a gap in the Eastern Quarter,\" Redundant brought\nhis hands together, summoning a small ethereal version of Opportunity. \"Some\nfat rich guy is building a tower, so all the defense turrets are powered off to\nallow the workers to do their things.\"Why is that?\"\"Is this your third question?\"\"Just curious,\" Qyr answered.He nodded. \"Devices aren't reliable. Sometimes they misfire.\nSome poor workers splattered their insides all over the scaffold once a turret\nmisbehaved.\"Qyr wished she hadn't asked. \"You have one more.\"\"I'm thinking,\" she looked at the city again, the groomed\none of her paws. Licks allowed her thoughts to flow faster.\"I want to know the weakness of every human craft.\"\"Electricity,\" Redundant winked. \"Nothing works without\npower.\"\"We already tried that. The wasps-\"\"Jet fighters.\"\"And the birds-\"\"Helicopters.\"Qyr snarled and swiped away at the menace. \"You are\ninfuriating.\"\"I'm just explaining the basics!\" Redundant complained.She nodded her head, subduing her irritation. \"Proceed.\"\"Thank you, your Brightness. You are kind as you are scary,\"\nhe performed a proper bow, then straightened his spine. \"Those metal cans or\nwhatever you call them came after you because the city has several back-up\npower surge generators. If the electric grid goes haywire, they power on,\nfueling the city's defenses with a small measure of electric current.\"\"We were outsmarted,\" Qyr admitted between clenched teeth.\nWith a thought reading spirit, she had no way around truth.\"As you deserve for rushing head on like an enraged bull!\"\"Matters not,\" she rose on her fours. \"Mistakes are our\ngreatest teachers.\"Redundant hummed softly. \"Deep. I'm starting to like your\nbrilliance.\"\"And I'm starting to dislike you the more you speak.\"\"That almost hurt my nonexistent feelings,\" the human\ncomplained and jumped in front of the dragoness.\"Are you going now?\"\"There is little point in lingering.\"The human walked backwards, a hand extended in front of him.\n\"I know my stories failed to impress, but I have something important to add!\"\"Speak, and I will that your words are well received.\"He nodded and smirked. \"There is another advice to share.\nThis one is on me since I cannot use my farsight to cheat for you,\" he\ncrouched, vanishing in the grasses. \"Stay hidden. Out of sight. Vanish. Our\nguns cannot shoot at what they cannot see.\"\"You thought I was going to just fly in their midst?\"\"It's what you did last time...\" Redundant appeared and hugged\none of her forelegs. \"I know you dragons can be stupid sometimes and that's why\nwe always slay you, but please be careful.\"Qyr growled with amusement. \"Is that actual concern I'm hearing?\"\"Erm, yes. A bit. And admiration,\" he hovered to her head,\ncupping her snout between his tiny hands. \"I think I caught a liking to you,\nmiss Dragon.\"\"You know my name is Qyr, pest,\" she poked her tongue\nthrough the human. He laughed and hugged her, hands vanishing inside her\nscales. \"You are still miss Dragon to me. One of the finest I ever met.\"\"I am...grateful?\" Qyr smiled.\"You should be! I provided mirth, assistance and a few\ninsults, depending on your needs.\"\"You will not receive any gratitude for those,\" Qyr passed\nthrough his ethereal form. \"But I admit you are slightly more entertaining than\na dim witted pest.\"\"And your Brightness seems just a tad smarter than the dumb\ndragons I read about in books.\"\"Your compliments are well received!\" Qyr crouched. She\nexpected a witty reply or see Redundant's sky colored form floating around, but\nnothing happened. \"Pest?\" She looked back. Nothing. She turned around, shuffling through the grass. \"I can't\nbelieve what I'm doing,\" Qyr said to herself. \"Searching for that annoying bundle\nof stupidity instead of enjoying a few moments of silence.\"She liked being by herself once again, but Pest's sudden\ndisappearance left her alone and exposed. Qyr searched until her breath\nquickened, then turned her sight back towards Opportunity. She knew not why\nPest vanished. Perhaps he forgot to mention a rule or she approached the city\ntoo much. All Qyr knew was that she had a task to fulfill and a slight regret\ntugging at her mind. Annoying or not, Pest made her task a lot more colorful.She kept her wings low and her head lower. The surrounding\nfields provided excellent cover for stalking. With slow, measured steps, Qyr\nrounded the city. She kept her eyes on the wall, analyzing every turret or\ncanon until she found the unfinished building Pest talked about. A dozen\nworkers and even more machines latched onto the exposed glass, tying it\ntogether with blazing blue gusts. Qyr waited. Her instincts told her to act, but her intellect\nurged caution. An approach from the sky could be quicker. Qyr stared for a\nhundred heartbeats, eyes narrowing at her discovery. Small crafts patrolled the\nsky above the tallest buildings. Of course. That's why humans always followed\nher in the skies. They had those tiny things to guide them. Up there, she was\nexposed, an easy target for the metal wasps and birds. The buildings removed\nthat deficit. Qyr thought of several pathways, all leading to the central\ntower. Her plan was to fly low. Her wings were more effective than any human\ncraft at twisting and turning, and mobility was a great asset between tight\nspaces. Then what? The central tower was too big. Arjirr needed\nspace, as well as a measure of defense and easy access for humans. The top of\nthe tower was too risky in case of an attack, so the humans probably had him\nlower. Qyr had to think on the moment about that. Right now, she needed to\nreach it first.She waited patiently, tail swishing while she pondered\nPest's words. She had to be invisible, like him. A ghost passing through every\nobstacle. She observed patterns in the work of the humans. They had rotations,\nand every time they switched, the gap between the half-constructed building\nremained exposed and unwatched. Qyr's blood quickened. She controlled her breath, relaxed\nher muscles until the shift took place. Once that happened, she sprung upwards.\nShe flapped her wings to gain altitude, then pulled them to her sides, passing\nthrough the gap unscathed. Multiple buildings rose before her, each taller and\nunique in its own way. Qyr swerved and shifted between pathways, never\nremaining on the same for too long. Wires and strings rose in her path, but she\nadjusted her altitude accordingly, always keeping her eyes on the path ahead\nand the fliers above. Flying never felt so thrilling. All of Qyr's senses worked\ntogether to provide the best pathways. She kept away from strange and powerful\nnoises, and her agile eyes spotted obstacles just before she encountered them.\nShe gracefully slid between buildings or soared above rooftops, each time\nminding her surroundings. When she reached the central tower, no wail blared in\nthe distance and no wasps gathered there to greet her. She took refuge between the slants of a building, too short\nto be guarded by the sky patrol. She squeezed inside the tight confines,\nraising her wings until her joints were on the verge of popping. She tucked in\nher tail too, just for good measure. It was uncomfortable, ungraceful, but\nsafe. From here, she had a good view of the onyx behemoth rising before her. It\nhad many wicked towers, each giving way before the central rod that rose\nstraight into the sky. Qyr carefully looked from top to bottom, searching for\nanything unusual or revealing. No patterns emerged this time. She waited until\nher wing joints burned, then waited a bit more. The flurry of activity at the\nbase hinted at something of importance, but the upcoming scream seemed more\ndire. Glass shattered, sending two humans plummeting to their deaths. Qyr\ncaught the spark of light and smelled the burned flesh shortly after. If anyone\nhad such a shocking touch, it was Arjirr. She pushed out of her shelter and fanned her wings, diving\nstraight towards the opening created by the humans. It was small and\ninsignificant, but her breath made quick work of human crafts. She opened her\nmaw, unleashing only a faint roar. Qyr took a deep breath, panicking. She tried\nagain, with the same results.Her powers deserted her. She closed her eyes and tucked her\nwings against her sides, diving like an arrow through both glass and metal.\nPain registered upon impact, along with the explosion of several windows. Qyr\nmuffled her growl. Her claws sought purchase, sliding on the treacherous floor.\nHumans fled from her tumbling, jumping away from her path. She flared her\nwings, pushing them away.Qyr rolled and bent several pylons before her momentum\nceased. She gathered her stinging wings and found the ground under her four\nfeet. Several black clad humans rushed towards her, pointing small crafts at\nher. She didn't need Pest to discern their intentions. Silent as a stalker, Qyr\nrushed towards them, slashing her scythes left and right. Screams shortly\nfollowed. Human flesh was weak and tender, giving way before her claws like\ninsignificant prey. Once the first group was cleared, Qyr whirled around,\nslapping three more with her tail. She did not have only her claws, but wings\nand a tail to cover all her blind spots. No matter how many humans rushed her,\nshe incapacitated or ended them before they had a chance to retaliate. \"Break these fetters!\" Arjirr growled from his prison. He\nwas tied in the middle of a glass enclosed chamber several strides away. Qyr\ndug her claws into the ground and leaped, breaking through it. She slid a\nscythe underneath the electrified ropes and cut them clean. The surge of energy\nnumbed her paws, yet the price was worth it. Arjirr flapped his wings, rolling\non his fours. He stumbled briefly, but the humans that mistook that as weakness\nwere shocked until their flesh sizzled. Qyr ended two more, then rushed at Arjirr's side. \"Can you fly?\"He twitched his wings and nuzzled her. \"I still have my\nwings, don't I?\"\"Follow me then, and keep your lightning concealed. There is\na safer way to flee than removing every threat.\" Qyr rushed forth.\"Does Mighty Qyr avoid combat?\"\"This time, she does. Be quick!\" Qyr leaped through the gap\nshe created earlier and fanned her wings. Following her paths was easier when\nshe already traveled them. She turned her head, making sure Arjirr followed. He\nstruggled to maintain proper balance in the air, and Qyr slowed, matching her\npace with his. Buildings came and went, soon revealing the half finished one of\nthe Eastward Entrance. \"Pass through that gap.\"\"Can't,\" Arjirr hissed. \"My wings still feel numb.\"Over it?\"\"Too tall.\"\"Take the left side,\" Qyr said. She surged forth and banked\nright with a mighty roar, drawing the attention of every human to the opposite\nside. Turrets aimed towards her, but her wings flapped faster than they turned.\nWithin a few beats, Qyr flew over the wall and joined Arjirr on the other side.\"The grasses,\" Qyr pulled into a dive. \"Crouch low. Hide!\"He followed her example and touched the ground. With slow,\ncareful steps, the two dragons slinked away from the city and its ruckus. Soon,\nthat dreadful wail started to bleat, but Qyr found herself far removed from the\ndwellings and the guns of the humans. \"I don't think they'll ever catch us,\" she growled excitedly\nand bumped into Arjirr. He growled, his tone not deep and rich, but a pitch\nhigher. Qyr blinked. His scales and wings shifted before her very eyes,\nacquiring the dark hues of the midnight sky along with the rich blue along the\nunderside of the wings. \"Yr? What... Where is Arjirr?\" she blinked twice, but the\ndragon in front of her didn't change.\"He is safe, Qyr, and you passed my trial.\"\"This...was this all...\" she suddenly felt very tired, almost on\nthe verge of passing out.\"That is a concern only for the living,\" Yrmiyar'ra growled\nsoftly and embraced her with his twin wings. Debilitating weakness took Qyr,\nalong with that annoying nausea. She felt the sky and earth shift underneath\nher several times until the spinning sensation settled. Qyr opened her eyes to green grass and the scents of\nwilderness. She felt warmth. Something pressed against her, sheltering her like\na shivering hatchling. She resembled one in a way. Tremors gripped her flesh,\nand her head still spun.\"It will pass,\" a paw touched her forehead. Qyr glimpsed a\nfew cobalt claws before the nausea returned. She coughed, spitting only a few\nslivers of saliva. The emptiness inside her stomach slowly settled, taken away\nby warm touch.\"The spirit world took a liking to you. You've lingered\nthere far longer than I expected, Qyr'Ziyel.\"Qyr turned her head towards the voice. She knew it, but\nwanted her eyes to confirm her suspicions. She was right. Yrmiyar'ra, that\ndreadfully cruel and self righteous Guardian stood beside her, a warm wing\ndraped over her body. \"Am I back on Earth?\"\"Souls, no,\" the Guardian growled. \"We are on StarShard, the\nsame world we left before your trial started. It might take a day of flying to\nrejoin your mate, but it was the safest way to get you out. Lingering more in\nmy realm would have been...discouraged.\"\"You told me nothing of that,\" Qyr complained, shaking his\npaw off.Yrmiyar'ra placed it upon one of her own. \"I only said what\nyou needed to hear, Qyr. Nothing more, nothing less.\" \"And Arjirr?\" Qyr\nlooked him in the eyes, fangs bared, snouts almost touching. \"Were you ever\nplanning to tell me how you saved him long before my trial took place?\"\"Eventually,\" Yrmiyar'ra admitted in a calm, controlled\ntone. \"He had his own trial to pass. Mistakes are easily forgiven, but should\nnever be forgotten.\"\"I know what you are about to say,\" Qyr growled. \"That\nriddle and the trial-\"\"Served their purpose. Of that, I have no doubt,\" he pushed\nhis snout closer to her neck. Qyr dipped her head, allowing him to rub his warm\nsnout against her scales. \"You did everything I expected and more, Qyr. The\npatience you displayed during both the test and the trial and the wisdom to\nrecognize and learn from your own misdoings impressed me.\" He squeezed her\ncloser and pushed firmer into her chest. \"I am very proud of you, Qyr. Seeing you bloom and bettering\nyourself warms me more than the very sun shining above us.\"Qyr remained wordless. She never knew this side of Yrmiyar'ra.\nHe always seemed cold and emotionless, just like his task implied. And now he nuzzled\nand sheltered her under his wing? It was hard to believe.Almost as difficult as befriending a human spirit. Qyr\nsmiled and rubbed Yrmiyar'ra's neck with her own snout, stopping just beneath\nhis chin.\"You have my gratitude too, for all you did. I was...everything\nyou said,\" Qyr drooped her head in shame. \"Rash decisions led me astray, and my\nstubbornness made me blind to my faults.\"\"Don't worry over nothing,\" Yrmiyar'ra raised on all fours.\n\"What should concern you now is getting back to your mate. I did interrupt you\nduring a most important moment.\"\"Such mistake warrants its own trial,\" Qyr growled amusedly,\njoining by his side. \"Finding a mate is always a worthy challenge,\" the dark\nscaled Guardian blinked and dipped his head in respect. \"Fair winds to you,\nQyr'Zyiel.\"\"And the sun warm your scales.\"They touched their foreheads, sharing a few unspoken words\nbefore they broke apart. Qyr took to the skies after her own mate, while Yrmiyar'ra\ntook the opposite direction. He undoubtedly had more trials to give.Maybe with a few more Pests in them. "}